Review: The Proposition by Katie Ashley

The Proposition (The Proposition #1)
by Katie Ashley

Genre:  Adult, Chick Lit, Romance, Erotica, Contemporary
Publication: November 1st 2012 by Katie Ashley Productions
Format: ebook, 232 pages
Author:  Website, Twitter

With her thirtieth birthday looming, Emma Harrison finds her biological clock clanging and the elusive knight in shining armor yet to appear. She’s running out of options, especially after her gay best friend backs out from being her sperm donor. Of course, there’s always a sperm bank, but Emma fears a donor mix-up might impregnate her with the spawn of Satan.

Resident company womanizer, Aidan Fitzgerald, is used to always getting what he wants, especially in the bedroom. When Emma spurns his advances at the company Christmas party, he's determined to have her no matter what it takes. After Aidan learns of Emma's predicament, he is quick to offer a proposition that will benefit them both. He will father Emma's child, but she must conceive it with him naturally. Not one for hook-ups or casual sex, Emma is reluctant to take him up on his offer, but his charm, coupled with her intense desire for motherhood, wins out.

Soon their baby-making sessions become more than just physical. Aidan can't seem to walk away from her while Emma begins to wonder if Aidan could be the one. But can Aidan leave his past behind to become the man Emma needs him to be? 

So where do I begin? Emma Harrison wanted a baby, but the problem was that she hasn’t found the right guy. Yet. After her gay best friend backs out from being her sperm donor, Aidan Fitzgerald, a notable womanizer offered to be the father of her baby with one condition. The baby must be conceived naturally. 

I never thought that I would like the book so much. I wasn’t a big fan of story where the characters would fell in love through physical romance, but I love this one.  Emma was such a sweetheart. She wanted to be a mother more than anything. I love that she showed both her strengths and weaknesses. Aidan was a hot and sexy notable player. He was terrified of commitment after a bad relationship in the past.

I love the flow and story line  There were lots of serious moments as well as the funny one. The secondary characters were very likeable. I especially like Aidan’s family. I love that even though Emma and Aiden got together because of, well, sex, I’m glad that they really got to know each other through conversations and romances. I love the romances. Emma and Aidan were very cute together. This is one of the books that made me grin idiotically.

What I didn’t really like was the ending. The cliffhanger! Why? So... I purchased the next book, The Proposal, as soon as I finished this one. I just cannot wait to read what will happen to them.

#36 Teaser Tuesday: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week:

"An angel tried to kill me," she said.
A beat, and then, "Uh-huh."
- page 135, Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I just started reading this one although it has been on my shelf for quite some times. I really like the book so far. Karau is a very interesting character!

Book Review: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Unraveling Isobel

by Eileen Cook

Genre:  Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult

Publication: January 3rd 2012 by Simon Pulse

Format: Hardcover, 304 pages

Author:  Website, Facebook, Twitter

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

I decided to read this one because I really like the cover and that I was looking for a good cute romance book. Isobel’s mother just married to a guy she met on the internet three months ago. Now she had to leave her life and best friend and move in to her new home which is located in a small island. Then Isobel started seeing ghost who she believed was her dead stepsister. Her parents (more like her step father) accused her of being mentally ill just like her father. Now Isobel need to find out what was going on and convinced people around her that she was not crazy.

I wasn’t sure what I feel about the book. I love the whole mystery behind the island and what really happen there. I was curious as to why Isobel started to see the ghosts. Isobel was an okay character. She was in her rebellious phase after she had to leave her social life to move in with her parents to this small island. I really like her and her witty remarks. But I think that the romance between Isobel and her stepbrother didn’t really work with me. It’s a little bit weird. I wish there were moments between Isobel and her father. I wish they had a conversation about his mental illness and what Isobel was experiencing.

Overall, I think Unraveling Isobel is an okay book. It was a light read with mystery, a bit romance and humorous moment.

#35 Teaser Tuesday: Delirium

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week:

It’s strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it’s taking forever to come. Then it happens and it’s over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed. – page 55, Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I'm reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver this week. I had this book on my shelf for a while but was afraid to read it. You see, I've heard lots of positive reviews from my friends that I was afraid that I might not like the book as they did (it happen to me sometimes). But I'm glad that delirium wasn't disappointing. I enjoyed reading the book so far.

Kick Butt Characters Hop

Welcome to the "Kick Butt Characters Hop" hosted by Good Choice Reading & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. I'm offering a chance to win a paperback version of your choice from my favorite book, featuring a kick butt characters! This giveaway will run from March 23rd to 28th.

Win yourself one of these books:

   

• To enter this giveaway, enter your contact details in the form below.
• You are not required to follow me but, it would be nice if you follow me via GFC/goodreads/twitter too :)
• This is an International giveaway as long as BookDepository.com ship them to your country.
• One entry per person.
• Winners will be notified via email.  Winners will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. 
• I'm not responsible for any lost package.
• Good luck & have fun!
• Be sure to check out the other giveaway stops on this blog hop

Blog Tour: Schoolgirl Cinderella by Priya Narendran - Review + Q&A

Priya Narendran is now on tour with CLP Blog Tour with her book, Schoolgirl Cinderella. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more blog stop.

Schoolgirl Cinderella
by Priya Narendran

Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: December 27th 2012 by amazon
Format: ebooks, 120 pages
Author:  Goodreads

Seventeen year old Briony Duke lives in a manor house with her guardian Mrs. Eyres and Eyres's daughter Lucy. Mrs. Eyres makes Briony sleep in the kitchen, cook, clean and do the laundry. One day Briony meets nineteen year old Tom Logan,the sixth richest man in the country. Tom is intelligent, articulate and incredibly attractive. The only problem is. Mrs. Eyres and Lucy have also set their sights on him.

I received a copy of read Schoolgirl Cinderella by Priya Narendran  from CLP Blog Tour as part of the blog tour. I was excited to read Schoolgirl Cinderella as I’m a fan of fairy tale retelling. It was always fun to see how any author would add in a little twist and turn it into a new version of fairy tale.

Schoolgirl Cinderella began when Briony Duke lost her parents in a car accident. Briony now live with Mrs. Eyres and Lucy, Mrs. Eyres daughter after Mrs. Eyres, Briony’s father ex-associate, took Briony in her care as her guardian until she turned 18. Mrs Eyres made Briony sleep in the kitchen, cook, clean and do other chores for her. Briony was allowed to go to school so that others wouldn’t think that Mrs. Eyres was a bad guardian. Then, Briony met Tom Logan, a rich boy who was going to be an heir to a biscuit company. They fell in love.

I think Priya Narendran writing style was a bit hard for me to get into it, but still, it was a fun read. Schoolgirl Cinderella is a short, light read full of fairy tale romance. You can read and find out how Briony was going to get her happy ending within 2 to 3 hours in one sitting. 

Q&A with Priya Narendran


How and why did you become a writer?
I’ve been writing for a long time and it’s something I’ve done for a number of years. I write because I enjoy the idea of creating stories and characters purely by imagination.

Who has most influenced your writing?
I suppose it’s my English teacher who always encouraged me to write from the heart.

What inspires you?
The world around me. I think it’s so diverse and there are so many good things and bad things it’s impossible not to be affected by it on some level.

How would you describe your books?
They are meant to give people a sense of hope as all my characters go through a lot of adversity and torment but there’s always a happy ending.

Why did you choose fairy tale retelling?
Like most people I love fairy tales, And I think any person young or old can relate to it in some way because the base material has been around for hundreds of years.

What is your favorite fairy tale as a kid? What about now?
Cinderella is my favourite from my childhood and also in my adult years. I love the theme of Prince Charming falling in love with a commoner and ending up marrying her.

What is your favorite fairy tale retelling book?
I quite like Beastly, Only because Beauty and the Beast is my second favourite fairy tale of all time.

What are you working on now?
I’m taking a break from writing for a few months and trying to find a good idea for my next book.

Anything you want to say to your reader?
I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

Author Bio: 

My name is Priya Narendran and I have been a fan of paranormal fiction and fairy tales for years. I started writing when I was 7 years old and haven’t stopped writing since. So far I have written mainly fairy tale themed stories but I hope to branch out into paranormal romance and fantasy in the near future. As well as writing I’m an avid film buff and my favourite films include My Fair Lady, Amadeus, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Shining. I tend to write mainly fairy tale re-tellings mainly because I find it fascinating to look at fairy tales through a modern lens. I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Book Review: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon
by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre:  Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Publication: February 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton
Format: Paperback, 261 pages
Author:  Website, Facebook, Twitter

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. Why did she leave her hometown so suddenly? Why did she vow never to return?

But in a place where unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight, where the wallpaper in your bedroom changes so suit your mood, and where a neighbour bakes hummingbird cakes in the hope of bringing back a lost love, Emily will find that the answers are not what she expects…

I’ve heard so much about Sarah Addison Allen’s book. I saw a few friends reading it, and decided to read her book to find out why they like it so much. I started with The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I was really glad that I decided to give Sarah Addison Allen’s book a try. I didn’t expect that I would like The Girl Who Chased the Moon so much, but I did.

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina to live with her grandfather after her mother died from an accident. She wondered why her mother didn’t tell her about her grandfather and the town she grew in. Then strange things started to happen around Emily. Magical things. She saw the Mullaby lights across the yard, her wallpaper started to change magically and soon, Emily now learn her mother’s secret – why her mother leave the town and choose not to come back.

Then, there was Julia. She left town sometimes ago and came back when her father’s died to manage his restaurant. Julia loves to bake. She loves baking for Sawyer. But things happened between Julia and Sawyer during high school and Sawyer broke her heart.

I’m in love with this book. It was really sweet, fluffy, magical and a bit mysterious. I love every character of the book, including Julia and Sawyer. I really enjoy reading how Emily was trying to fit in into town and then discovered her mother’s secret. And mostly, I love the romances. They are very cute!

I think I’m in love with Sarah Addison Allen’s way with word. It was magical. I can picture the town, the magic around it and the emotion the character was going through. I can’t wait to check out her other’s book.